“Who would like to hear what’s going on when you die?”
In the last episode of the FX series that dies for sexA palliative care nurse with a strangely comforting feeling of enthusiasm explains to a patient to expect his death.
“Death is not a mystery. It is not a medical disaster. It is a bodily process, like giving birth or as going to the toilet or coughing, ”she continues. “Your body knows what to do.”
The patient eats and will drink less, for example, and will sleep much more; She will not go out of bed and could become delusional. Finally, his breathing will slow down until death hides. She could even live “the rally”, says the nurse, or an explosion of energy and mental clarity a few days before her last breath.
The scene is based on real events in the life of Molly Kochan, who received a Terminal breast cancer diagnosis In 2015 and embarked on a sexual trip until his death four years later. Kochan, who died at the age of 46, documented his experiences in a podcast With her best friend, Nikki Boyer, who inspired the television series.
“There is this hypothesis, of course, that death is not something that an audience wants to look. It is too frightening or sad,” explains Kim Rosenstock, co-creator, writer and executive producer of the show. “So we had the impression that we had the opportunity to represent death in a different way. And in doing so, hope, to ensure that death still feels a little less mysterious and frightening.”
To a certain extent, each death is unique because it depends on the age, the state of health of a person and the reason for dying, explains Julie McFadden, nurse in hospice and online educator in Los Angeles, California. But for those who are not affected by a traumatic event, such as a car accident, most people will feel certain stages and symptoms.
Experts say that more about death – than they call “literacy of death” – can actually help repress fears of dying. Here is what they said about the science and psychology of the death process.
The transition phase
Months before death, the transition phase begins, explains McFadden. This involves spending more time in bed, eating and drinking less and needing more help with daily tasks such as dressing and going to the toilet. Meanwhile, it can be difficult to follow the conversations and sleep will take most of the day.
This step can be particularly difficult to notice in people who have conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease, adds McFadden, as signs reflect those of their illness.
The transition phase could also involve a “detachment of the world” in a way that makes time nonexistent, says Imperi ColeA certified thanatologist, a specialist who studies death, death, sorrow and loss. The senses will also start in Ternes, she says, so the view, the ending, the taste, the smell and the touch will not be as intense.
Due to food consumption and lower drinks, it is possible to enter the ketosis, a state in which the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. Imperi says that some people may feel pain relief or a euphoria accordingly, but it is not quite clear why. A few research suggests that the gaba neurotransmitter increases during ketosis, which makes you feel calm, while cortisol, stress hormone, decreases, explains Imperi.
Active
All these symptoms will worsen until the last stage of life, called “active dying”, explains McFadden. It can start a few days or a few hours before death. For the most part, a person is unconscious, she says, and breathing and heart rate can become irregular.
If breathing or heart rate becomes too erratic and causes discomfort, hospice workers can attract a musical thanatologist to help stabilize vital and facilitate anxiety, explains Imperi. These trained professionals play the harp and use their voice at the bedside. “When we die, our bodies become less effective to run like casters,” says Imperi, “therefore when the music – than which enter, the body behaves in a way in the model of their music.”
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This step is also when “the rally” occurs. According to McFadden. For a few short days, hours or even minutes, personalities come back, the names of their loved ones are recalled and favorite foods are still desire.
“There is no final scientific reason why it happens,” explains Imperi. “But I would say it’s a beautiful and beautiful gift.”
It is also very common, at any time of active death, to feel hallucinations or visions which generally involve dear beings that have passed. Imperi says that dying often speaks of needing to pack their bags or wait to be picked up at an airport.
Terminal secretions, or “death rattle”
The last thing that occurs before death is a change of respiratory model called breathing cheyne-stokes, says Imperi. Like a fish out of the water, a person experiences a series of fast breaths followed by long periods without breathing. Consequently, one cannot swallow mucus or saliva, so it thickens and accumulates at the back of the throat, which makes each breath Gurgly, says Imperi.
These noises are called terminal secretions, commonly known as “death rattles”. Although it seems painful, Cheyne -Stokes breathing does not hurt – just like most of the active death process, says McFadden, which says that it can see it on the basis of the non -verbal signals of patients.
“A dying person is like a baby,” says McFadden. “Babies cannot say that they are hungry or teeth, but you can say that something is wrong with the way they act. The dying is the same. “
Why the literacy of death is important
“In American culture, death is largely feared and considered this disaster to avoid at all costs,” explains Rosenstock. “It was important for us to transmit the dying process truthfully.”
It is normal to be afraid of death because it is in our nature to survive, says Imperi, but the best way to cancel the fear of dying is to educate yourself. Several studies Show that the more we learn and envisage death, the less anxiety we have about living it.
Literacy of death can be particularly useful for people who are already dying, says McFadden.
“Most people are not comfortable talking about it, so everyone goes around the problem. But in the end, they want answers, and in general, we have it, ”explains McFadden. “We do not know exactly what it will look like after your departure, but we know enough about what you can expect (during the process), and in most cases, my patients and their families sigh a relief once they learn more.”
This is because one of the most difficult parties to die is to lose control, says Imperi, and death education can help put the ball back into your courtyard. On the other hand, some people could find a feeling of control by refusing to know more about what happens to them or their beloved, adds Imperi, which can be just as therapeutic.
“Supporting this resistance is sometimes more important,” explains Imperi, because it could be what a person needs his trip at that time.
Above all, “we are built for death as we are built for birth,” explains McFadden. “The more we understand that the better we will live – the more we die peaceful.”
